Competitor ends up in A&E with ‘thunderclap headaches’ after munching burning pepper

A MAN ended up in hospital with agonising headaches and neck pain after eating the world’s hottest chilli.

The 34-year-old developed the symptoms after trying the “Carolina Reaper” during a hot pepper competition.

A scan showed arteries in his brain had temporarily narrowed, causing severe “thunderclap” headaches.

Doctors warned that taking part in hot chilli contests could have unexpected consequences, as they published details of the incident in journal BMJ Case Reports.

The unnamed man immediately began dry heaving after sampling the chilli, the US authors said in the paper.

Over the following days, he developed “intense” neck pain and headaches, each of which lasted just a few seconds. The pain was so BY SALLY WARDLE reporters@dailyrecord.co.uk severe that he sought emergency treatment and he was tested for multiple neurological conditions.

A CT scan showed several arteries in his brain had constricted and he was diagnosed with reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome.

The condition can be caused by some prescription medications or illegal drugs. But this is the first time it has been linked with eating chilli peppers. The man’s symptoms cleared up on their own and his arteries returned to normal.

The Guinness World Record for the hottest chilli is held by The PuckerButt Pepper Company in the US for their Smokin Ed’s “Carolina Reaper”, which rates at an average of 1,569,300 Scoville heat units.

A Jalapeno pepper typically rates between 2500 to 5000 units.

FACT FILE

CHILLI peppers originate from Mexico and have been cultivated since 3500BC.

They contain capsaicin, a compound which causes a burning sensation. Their spiciness – or heat – is usually measured on what’s known as the Scoville Scale. The heat doesn’t come from the seeds but from the pith — the white inner wall or ribs of the pepper that the seeds attach to.

Drinking water does not help as capsaicin – which has analgesic and antibiotic properties – is insoluble in water.